Tag Archive | homeschooling

Discovering Mexico…

So with our in depth examination of China the kids requested another country… Being all democratic (first mistake) I let them choose… even after extorting the amazing qualities of some European countries (ok so Mommy has some interests not yet tapped) I was out voted and we chose a month+ long focus of MEXICO!!!

This is another first for us. I the topics I thought would be interesting and made up pages for the twins (and the littles to a more limited extent) to chose from. Topics like Sports, Inventions, Capital City, the list goes on and on… so we shall see how giving some more independence and choices works with the kids… FINGERS CROSSED!

However I am still verifying all websites before they settle on them so I had some major work ahead of me. And of course I have some to share as well!! I will post them according to topic, the only order is the one chosen by the boys to cover!

GEOGRAPHY

  • What hemispere is Mexico in? Ask.com has the answer HERE

SPORTS

  • donQuijote.org has a short article HERE.
  • we checked out further information on Lucha Libre thanks to Wiki HERE.
  • VisitMexico.com has an interesting piece on Charreria HERE.

CAPITAL CITY – Mexico City

  • Angel of Independence thanks to Mexico City – Guide HERE.
  • CNN has 10 interesting facts about the city HERE.
  • Discovering Ice… a travel blog has tons to share including personal experiences HERE.
  • MexicoCity.com has a page HERE

DINOSAURS… yup we went there… Emanuel and Trinity and I!

  • Our dinosaur list was found on EnchantedLearning HERE
  • Gorgosaurus: a wonderful picture on deviantArt thanks to SommoDracorex HERE. Dino Hunt Canada with their “breathing” image HERE. EnchantedLearning facts HERE. Raresource HERE.
  • Labocania: not a common dinosaur AT ALL… so this is the best I could do! Dinosaurs.about.com HERE, CoolDinoFacts Wikia HERE, RareSource.com HERE. BUT an amazing picture to colour thanks to deviantArt and hyphenatedsuperhero HERE.
  • For Hypacrosaurus we used one site as our launching pad and clicked their links. VERY helpful. You can find our link HERE thanks to Dinosaur of the Week.
  • Pterosaur: not so much a specific animal but a grouping of apparently NOT dinosaurs, so fun for the kids being as these were FLYING critters. EnchantedLearning HERE. SomeInterestingFacts.net HERE. And our colouring page on SuperColoring.com HERE.
  • Lambeosaurus: A duck-billed dinosaur we had a few good resources we used – KidsDinos.com HERE, EnchantedLearning HERE, and our colouring page was from IAmFritz.com HERE.
  • Apatosaurus: Our last dinosaur chosen to research… Science Kids HERE, Kids Dig Dinos HERE, EnchantedLearning HERE and our colouring page from Ducksters HERE.

PLANTS AND ANIMALS

  • The National animal/bird is the GOLDEN EAGLE… and the plant the PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS. We found that out using Wiki HERE. Learn more about the Golden Eagle thanks to Sandiego Zoo HERE. And all about the Prickly Pear Cactus thanks to DesertUSA HERE.
  • Endangered animal list thanks to Mexidata HERE.
  • Of our list Zander chose TWO animals to research (online)… Axolotl was the first with three links: A-Z Animals HERE and National Geographic Kids HERE and Mother Nature Network HERE. It is crazy cool! The second was the Tigrillo or the Margay. We found various pages once we realized the secondary name so here is a quick list – Encyclopaedia Britannia HERE, SoftSchools.com HERE, PoC HERE, The Animal Files HERE.

TRADITIONAL CLOTHING

  • Education.com worksheet for traditional clothing for both genders HERE.
  • Facts about traditional clothing thanks to FactsAboutMexico.com HERE.
  • Sombreros facts HERE thanks to ehow.

WEATHER STUDY

  • Discuss the seasons on an informational site HERE.
  • Learn about the rainy season on Mexperience HERE.
  • Does it snow in Mexico? Find the answer from people who live there thanks to Yahoo Answers HERE.
  • General climate information on Mexperience HERE.

ART, CRAFTS and ARTISTS

  • Gavin did the research and write ups for this one. First Frida Kahlo, mainly from our book list but also from Wiki HERE.
  • And her husband Diego Rivera, again mainly from our library finds and Wiki HERE. Our colouring page of one of his murals can be found HERE thanks to Scribble Blog.

LANGUAGE and PEOPLE

  • Learn Spanish at Duolingo.com (app available too) HERE.
  • Famous people born in Mexico list with links onward thanks to Biography.com HERE.

NATURAL DISASTERS

  • An article of interest on the examination of an area in Mexico that experienced a massive drought for about 650 years thanks to NBC HERE.

AGRICULTURE

  • Livestock numbers (from 2008) thanks to Answers.com HERE. We used this as an example of the types of common animals raised for food and other reasons.
  • Learn about the Cacao plant and chocolate thanks to Wilderness Classroom HERE.
  • A list of common plants to Mexico (short) thanks to ehow HERE.
  • Plants of Mexico list (long) thanks to Backyard Nature HERE.
  • Agriculture in Mexico thanks to Wiki HERE.

INVENTIONS

  • We used this list on Wiki as a launching pad for researching 3 of them. Nothing fancy just a list of interest really HERE.
  • A second list thanks to the site Latina HERE.

MEXICO INDEPENDENCE DAY

  • SoftSchools.com has a wonderful page about the history of Mexico’s movement to independence HERE.
  • KidzWorld.com has some information HERE.
  • Globe In has 10 interesting facts about Independence Day HERE.

GENERAL FACTS

  • A to Z Kids Stuff HERE.
  • Duckster with some Mexico Geography HERE.
  • Octavio Paz (famous individual) thanks to Wiki HERE.
  • Chichen Itza thanks to SoftSchools HERE

RELIGION

  • Mexconnect covers the history of Catholicism in Mexico HERE.

MUSIC AND DANCE

Tlacololeros a traditional Mexican dance… watch it below:

Mexican Hat Dance… check it out below:

CURRENCY

  • A great image of the currency and explanation of how it works thanks to Focus on Mexico HERE.

COUNTRY STUDY… a great all over overview from Activity Village we are now using for any country we cover as more than a micro unit HERE.

MEXICO printable booklet, for purchase on TeachersPayTeachers HERE. Great for grades 1-3.

COLOURING PAGES and WORKSHEETS

  • Mexican Revolution HERE thanks to Oncoloring.
  • Know Your Neighbour HERE thanks to jumpstart.com.
  • Spanish word book and more HERE thanks to Homeschool Share.
  • Clothing colouring page HERE thanks to Coloring Book 4 Kids

BOOKS… boy did we have books!! I may have cleaned out 2 or three local library branches!! So enjoy the fruit of my requesting! I will try and point out the super useful or fun books with a bit of further information. After all, this is useful for me too when we chose to revisit a topic for the littles to learn more about!

  • Cactus Soup by Eric A. Kimmel. This is a take on the stone soup idea set in Mexico during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1922). The kids picked up right away that it was a great lesson about sharing. Though the girls were VERY put out about the people lying about having things at first… not cool! Great book HERE.
  • Little Egret and Toro by Robert Vavra. This is not a MEXICAN story but we chose to read this book because it was set in Spain and about a fighting bull. The whole concept of bull fighting and the ending of the fight in the death of the bull is visited. It does have a happy ending though! HERE
  • Mexico by Gina DeAngelis (a common name for a lot of the books we borrowed but I will link each one if I can!): Many Cultures, One World. HERE
  • Christmas Around the World by Emily Kelley HERE.
  • P is for Pinata by Tony Johnston HERE
  • Ancient Mexico by Kelly Campbell Hinshaw HERE
  • A Look at Mexico by Helen Frost HERE
  • Mexico by Sarah Tieck HERE
  • Cultural Traditions in Mexico by Lynn Peppas HERE
  • Mexico by Christine Juarez HERE
  • Mexico by Deborah Kent HERE
  • Mexico by R. Conrad Stein HERE
  • The Boy Who Wouldn’t Obey: A Mayan Legend by Anne Rockwell HERE
  • Food and Festivals Mexico by Linda Illsley HERE
  • Mexico City by R. Conrad Stein HERE
  • Countries of the World Mexico by Beth Gruber HERE
  • Mexico in Pictures by Janice Hamilton HERE
  • The Cooking of Mexico by Matthew Locricchio HERE
  • Mexico! 40 Activities to Experience Mexico Past & Present by Susan Milord HERE
  • Traditional Crafts from Mexico and Central America by Florence Temko HERE

AZTECS AND MAYANS – we only did a cursory discussion on these two groups but had a lovely stack of books for reading and enjoyment and of course the fact finding.

  • Aztecs by David and Patricia Armentrout HERE
  • Ancient Aztecs by Tim Cooke HERE
  • Life Among the Aztecs by Eleanor J. Hall HERE
  • Lost Temple of the Aztecs by Shelley Tanaka HERE
  • The Aztecs by Tim Wood HERE
  • The Maya HERE
  • Houses & Homes by Tim Wood HERE
  • Ancient Mayan Civilization by Nancy Day HERE
  • Crafts From the Past – The Aztecs by Gillian Chapman HERE

MOVIES/DOCUMENTARIES

  • Families of Mexico (Families of the World) HERE
  • More Families of Mexico (Families of the World) HERE
  • Travel With Kids Mexico HERE
  • Ancient Aztec The Fall of the Empire (Ancient Civilizations for Children) HERE

I really enjoyed this unit and the kids seemed to learn and enjoy a lot too… Please enjoy the images from some of our finished work!IMAG0622

IMAG0623

IMAG0624

IMAG0625

IMAG0626

IMAG0627

IMAG0628

IMAG0629

IMAG0630

Our craft... This was traditionally started when the child was born and each colour added for each year. Birth Charms.. though the kids and Ken made theirs up in one day.

Our craft… This was traditionally started when the child was born and each colour added for each year. Birth Charms.. though the kids and Ken made theirs up in one day.

Here is a quick peek at our finished notebook/binder… sorry about the quality and the babbling!

Field Trip Overflow And More

Ok WOW this has been here a while without posting (like last year prepped and not quite posted)… talk about a look back… long hair on me and tiny Echo! Well better late than never! A bit of a filler before I get the January reflection up and running. So enjoy the glance back at our fun in Minnesota!

There is just too much to see and do in Minnesota and we plan to do our best to share it all!!! Enjoy the overflow.

MINNESOTA HISTORY CENTER101_6934

I had to do these two pictures as Scouts is new and so much fun for our Emanuel! So anything about them interests him!

I had to do these two pictures as Scouts is new and so much fun for our Emanuel! So anything about them interests him!

Checking out an old fashioned nurser

Checking out an old fashioned nursery

An old projector

An old projector

101_6965

The house through the years had some amazing variety in cultures that had lived there!

The house through the years had some amazing variety in cultures that had lived there!

You can see the capital building from here!

You can see the capital building from here!

101_6972

Learning all about how the Native Americans utilized the bison.

Learning all about how the Native Americans utilized the bison.

101_6981

COMO ZOO

Bison

Bison

101_7172

101_7159

101_7161NATURE IN GENERAL!101_7652

101_7682

101_7651

101_7754101_7768MINNEHAHA FALLS!101_7809

101_7780

101_7786

View from the top

View from the top

101_7783101_7785

101_7799

November’s Overflow Of Images

It doesn’t matter if it is days or months… there are always those extra pictures I can’t help but share!!! I hope that they entertain!

She does have the most interesting fashion sense

She does have the most interesting fashion sense

Can you believe she can actually walk in this?

Can you believe she can actually walk in this?

My main card making helper

My main card making helper

102_0028

Jeffrey is just too cute for one blog post's worth of images!

Jeffrey is just too cute for one blog post’s worth of images!

102_0045

The girls just LOVE him

The girls just LOVE him

102_0035

102_0042

Echo does love to act along with her shows

Echo does love to act along with her shows

Thank you Aunty Esther! We love our Canadian mittens!!

Thank you Aunty Esther! We love our Canadian mittens!!

102_0062

Fairies DO exist in our house!

Fairies DO exist in our house!

Gammie sent us more books for Christmas. This is our second read aloud and mail books. There is nothing more lovely than having someone read you a story. The kids listened to that one over and over again!

Gammie sent us more books for Christmas. This is our second read aloud and mail books. There is nothing more lovely than having someone read you a story. The kids listened to that one over and over again!

102_0054

Crafting babies warms mother's heart... I love when they do something creative

Crafting babies warms mother’s heart… I love when they do something creative

Raccoons thanks to Wild Kratts

Raccoons thanks to Wild Kratts

TURKEY!

TURKEY!

November Home Depot

November Home Depot

Another month of successful reading

Another month of successful reading

We found this in the basement!!

We found this in the basement!!

Baby Faced Ken

Baby Faced Ken

Culvers!

Culvers!

Lest We Forget! The Red Poppy! Sadly this one went missing. I need to get some imported!

Lest We Forget! The Red Poppy! Sadly this one went missing. I need to get some imported!

Future chefs

Future chefs

IMAG0303IMAG0304

HUGE accomplishment of Ken's - two car garage HOLDS TWO CARS!

HUGE accomplishment of Ken’s – two car garage HOLDS TWO CARS!

IMAG0325IMAG0329IMAG0357

Echo's first sessions

Echo’s first sessions

IMAG0413IMAG0418IMAG0422IMAG0424IMAG0439

Thanksgiving dress thanks to Gammie

Thanksgiving dress thanks to Gammie

Thanksgiving dress thanks to Gammie

Thanksgiving dress thanks to Gammie

IMAG0477IMAG0494IMAG0481IMAG0534